Total Complaints
8 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 560 · model year
1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 560
8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989MERCEDES-BENZ560 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 560 is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1989 560. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070620FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ARE ABOUT EARLY 1990 W124, W126,W140,W201 AND W202 MODELS. MY COMPLAINT WAS REGARDING AN ELECTRICAL MELTDOWN THAT OCCURRED ON THE 1989 560 SEL W126 LAST FRIDAY. I RECENTLY BOUGHT A SECOND CAR AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE HAD A LUMP OR A SURGE AT IDLE AND AT OPERATING SPEED. I THOUGHT SINCE THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT THE PROBLEM WAS FUEL RELATED. I TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR SHOP FOR A NEW FUEL FILTER. TWO DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE CAR WAS RETURNED AND IT WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL I STARTED GETTING THE LUMPY IDLE AND SURGE AT SPEED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE DRIVEN. I DID JUST THAT, AND TOOK THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. I NOTICED THAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR SEEMED TO BLACK OUT TEMPORARILY, CUTTING IGNITION AND FUEL, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE AND CONTINUED DRIVING. WHEN MAKING A TURN LATER INTO THE GAS STATION THE CAR BLACKED OUT COMPLETELY AND SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE
Mileage: 178,013
20020108VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE BACKING OUT OF GARGE IN REVERSE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ACCELERATED OUT INTO STREET. DRIVER HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. VEHICLE WAS IN DEALER SHOP ON ONE OCCASION, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20020107VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE IS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE, CONSUMER STATED THAT THAT THREE COLLISIONS HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE SOURCE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS, CAUSING OIL FUMES TO ENTER INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *DSH
19960117ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL, DUE TO HIGH OIL PRESSURE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. TT
19950711AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
WARNING LIGHT ON DASH (SRS) WOULD LIGHT UP AND STAYED LID A FEW MINUTES. CURRENTLY ON PERMANENTLY. DEALER SOLD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT INSISTS CONSUMER USE OLD PARTS.
19950103CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, BRAKE DID NOT RESPOND, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. TT
19950103CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED DURING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK
Compare 1989MERCEDES-BENZ560 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 have?▼
The 1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 560?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS.
Is the 1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.